ATV's a growing problem in town marshes, ConCom chairman says

FAIRHAVEN — Keeping all terrain vehicles out of the town's wetlands and marshes is a tough task, Conservation Commission Chairman Joseph Taylor said Tuesday.

"It's a huge problem," Mr. Taylor said, "with people even riding them on their own property. If they have a marsh on their own property and they're zipping through the marsh, that's a violation."

One place he mentioned where ATVs are causing problems is at the bottom of Egypt Lane. Mr. Taylor said ATVs are "especially" problematic on West Island, but he stressed that violations occur all over Fairhaven.

Mr. Taylor said it is "tough" to get the environmental police or state Department of Environmental Protection to respond to the wetlands act violation because of the time factor. A violator has to be caught in the act.

The Conservation Commission chairman said when a bird watcher reported an ATV "ripping through a marsh," by the time police responded, "The person was hiding." He added, "It's a Catch 22."

Mr. Taylor said he has no problem with people driving ATVs on dry land as long as they are registered to use them, "but when you're taking ATVs out on a marsh and tearing them up, then I do have a problem with it."

Mr. Taylor said, "That's one of the problems we have on this Conservation Commission." He said it's most likely a problem in other South Coast towns, too.